Frogs, whales and snakes created for threatened species Bake Off competition

Frogs, whales and snakes created for threatened species Bake Off competition

The online contest by the Australian government was aimed at raising awareness about the country’s vulnerable plants and animals.

This growling grass frog was named the winning bake (Growling grass frog/The Threatened Species Bake Off)

A Bake Off-style contest in Australia aimed at raising awareness about the country’s threatened species has revealed its winner.

As we tune in every week to watch amateur bakers make delicious treats on The Great British Bake Off, on the other side of the world, the Australian government invited people across the country to take part in the Threatened Species Bake Off competition and get the nation engaged in discussions about the country’s “unique threatened wildlife species”.

The winning bake, which was announced on Facebook by Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Sally Box, was a growling grass frog made by sustainability research firm cesar and its sister organisation EnviroDNA.

The growling grass frog, which is also commonly known as the southern bell frog, is native to south-eastern Australia and considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – a global organisation that gives species their conservation status.

The results were announced to mark the Threatened Species Day on September 7.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, which organised the contest, said: “Australia has over 1,800 threatened plants and animals.

(Numbat by Heather Lee-Kiorgaard/The Threatened Species Bake Off)

“We have globally distinct levels of biodiversity and significantly more unique species than any other country on earth.

“The Threatened Species Bake Off is being run by Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner as a way to raise awareness about our remarkable threatened species and the threats that they face, and get more Australians involved in protecting them.”

She added: “Few Australians know just how many of our native animals and plants are threatened.

(Whale Shark by James Clarke and Claudia Comacchio/The Threatened Species Bake Off)

“But most people like cake. Holding a nationwide Bake Off is one way that we can nudge this important issue into everyday Australians’ lives.”

The department received more than 250 entries from across the country, which involved sending photos of the baked goods accompanied by words describing why the species is threatened.